A Coldwater man has been arrested following a search warrant executed at his residence Monday afternoon. 55-year-old Jeffery Marbaugh was arrested and transported to the Mercer County Adult Detention Facility for felony possession of drugs. On Monday, the Mercer County Sheriff's Office suspected drug activity at Marbaugh's residence at 502 West Plum Street in Coldwater and obtained a search warrant from the Celina Municipal Court.

Press Release from the Office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost: (COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Law enforcement task forces organized under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) confiscated more than $92 million in illegal drugs in 2024, along with 560 firearms and $4.7 million in currency, Ohio Attorney General Yost announced today. “The number of illegal drugs and weapons taken off our streets this year is impressive thanks to our drug task forces, but the true measure of their success is the countless lives spared from overdoses and addiction,” Yost said. “I’m grateful to every sheriff and police chief, along with our federal partners, who fuel our efforts to thwart drug trafficking.” Under AG Yost’s leadership, OOCIC task forces have seized more than 288,000 prescription pills, 1,154 pounds of fentanyl, 1,994 pounds of cocaine and 2,334 firearms since 2019.

Two men were arrested in an early Friday morning drug raid in Findlay. The METRICH Drug Task Force and the Findlay Police Emergency Response Team raided 329 East Foulke Avenue just before 5 a.m. Friday morning. During the raid, they seized meth, suspected fentanyl, prescription pills, drug mushrooms, and paraphernalia. 

July 23, 2024, Press Release from the Ohio Department of Commerce: COLUMBUS, Ohio – With summer in full swing, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control (DOLC) encourages Ohioans to brush up on the guidelines regarding their local Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, since rules can vary between DORAs throughout the state. Following their legalization in 2015, more than 150 DORAs are now scattered throughout the state, with many of Ohio's communities embracing the concept of offering residents and visitors a designated zone that is exempted from portions of Ohio's open container laws. While in these areas, patrons can enjoy alcoholic beverages purchased from participating liquor permit holders while enjoying the outdoors and supporting local businesses.

May 17, 2024, Press Release from the Office of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine: (COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced today that nearly three dozen local drug task forces in Ohio are receiving state support for their work to disrupt the drug trade and promote substance use awareness, prevention, and recovery. More than $2.1 million in grants from Governor DeWine’s RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund will be awarded to 35 existing drug task forces to help officers identify high-level drug traffickers, dismantle large drug trafficking organizations, interrupt the flow of money and drugs from international cartels, and prevent the sale of illegal narcotics.

Diane Urban is the founder and director of the Association for People Against Lethal Drugs, known as APALD. She spoke to the Lima Rotary Club about its mission and how they have pushed lawmakers for an action plan to combat synthetic drugs. Her son died of an overdose when he took a drug for dental pain that was not what he thought.

The search of the residence yielded methamphetamine, numerous prescription pills, marijuana and THC products along with a large amount of drug paraphernalia throughout the residence. Other items indicative of drug trafficking were also seized. The evidence substantiated the on-going investigation into the residence for suspected drug possession and drug trafficking.

The Mercer County Sheriff says the county is making progress on their drug problem, but there is still a lot of work to be done to stay on top of it.  Jeff Grey released the drug arrest statistics for 2022.   The sheriff's deputies served drug related indictments to 74 different people, who faced a total of 210 felony drug violations.  The majority of the drug offenses involved meth, but Grey says that fentanyl and heroin were found frequently.  Of the people indicted, 54 were men and 20 were women.   Grey says the 3 pronged approach of enforcement, treatment, and education seems to be making an impact on the county's drug problem.